Nate heard the words. But he wasn’t sure he had a clue what she was suggesting. ‘What “story”?’ he asked.
She shrugged. ‘Whatever it is that’s such a big secret,’ she replied nonchalantly. ‘I presume there’s a day coming when it’ll all become totally public. I’ll agree that I won’t air a word about any of this until that day comes. You can have guys with guns follow me everywhere. In return, you give me the whole story. Background, interviews, the opportunity to record everything — like your Army historians do — so I can do a truly insightful piece… when the time comes.’
Clark sat there — unblinking — for a moment. ‘All right,’ he replied quietly.
Woody let loose a loud sigh of relief and relaxed.
‘All right… what?’ Kate asked warily.
‘All right, you can do that story. I’ll give you the access you need to do it right. And you’ll not breathe a word of anything till I give the go-ahead.’
Judging from Woody’s obvious relief he was taking the offer at face value. But Kate was determined not to compromise her journalistic integrity. ‘I won’t do a whitewash,’ she said firmly. ‘I won’t propagandize or sugarcoat.’ Clark nodded, but she continued. ‘When I make a legitimate request for access, or ask a question to which you or anyone else knows the answer…’
‘… about’ Clark interrupted, ‘this operation — no others.’
Kate considered the modification, then replied simply, ‘I want my questions answered.’
Clark nodded again.
Kate sat up straight and shrugged. ‘Okay, then. Can we have our equipment and tape back now?’
Clark nodded at Major Reed. Their camera and cassette were returned. The cameraman at first protested when the reporter had him hoist the camera to his shoulder. The ponytailed man maneuvered around the table for a shot. ‘Go,’ he said finally.
‘We’re here in UNRUSFOR Headquarters with Nate Clark, commanding general of UN troops. General Clark, what was it we saw under that camouflage covering today along the rail siding?’
She stuck the mike in Nate’s face. ‘Equipment, ammunition, fuel,’ he answered.
‘So… you’re saying that those are ordinary supplies?’ She felt the first twinge of disappointment at the deal she’d struck.
‘Yes.’
‘Why, then, the extraordinary security precautions that you’ve taken around such an ordinary supply depot?’
Again the mike was dipped to Clark’s chin. ‘Because of where those supplies are. They’re much farther to the west than the Chinese expect them to be. And there are much larger stores building there than the Chinese believe there to be.’
Kate didn’t even know how to proceed. She considered briefly even abandoning that line of inquiry and just blurting out an unrelated question. But she tried once again. ‘Can you explain, General Clark, what those facts would tell a Chinese general that makes them so vitally secret?’
‘It would suggest that UNRUSFOR is planning a massive counterattack. It could be evidence that we are marshaling our supplies far to the west for a major offensive that would threaten to encircle the entire Chinese expeditionary force. It might cause the Chinese to moderate their advance and assume a more defensive posture instead of pressing on into what might be a trap.’
‘Are you… are you saying that UNRUSFOR is planning a major counteroffensive against the Chinese?’ Kate asked, feeling a stir of excitement at the prospect. The stick mike hovered just in front of Clark’s face.
‘No,’ Clark replied. ‘I’m simply saying that intelligence would suggest those things to the Chinese.’
‘But… is it true? Are you planning a major counteroffensive?’
‘Yes.’
Kate regripped the mike, and then regripped it again. ‘Cut!’ she finally snapped. She looked at Woody. He leaned out around the eyepiece. ‘General Clark?’ she said, ‘are you sure you want to say that?’
He shrugged. ‘You wanted the whole story.’
‘Yeah, but… All right.’ She nodded at Woody and raised the mike. ‘What is your plan?’
‘To push south from our supply nodes along the Trans-Siberian Railway, outrace the retreating Chinese, and cut them off at the Amur River, encircling them north of the river and winning the war before the spring thaw and flooding.’
Kate’s mind reeled with questions, but one was first and foremost. ‘Do you intend to enter the People’s Republic of China?’ she asked.
‘No,’ Clark lied.
‘Cut,’ Kate said, lowering the microphone. The faint whir of the camera fell silent. ‘Jesus,’ she murmured.
‘Now you know,’ Nate said. He turned to Major Reed. ‘No calls, no contact with anyone outside our people, nothing. They can film anything they’d like, talk to anyone they’d like, but I want them sealed off tight. Twenty-four-hour armed escorts everywhere they go.’ He turned back to Kate and Woody. ‘If they attempt to make any unauthorized contacts, the MPs’ orders are to stop them. They have my authority to use deadly force.’ Kate looked back at him without flinching — not intimidated by his little show. ‘Anything else?’ she asked.
‘No pot.’
‘What?’ Kate asked — laughing.
‘Nobody smokes pot in my headquarters,’ Clark said.
‘You think this place is bugged?’ Kate asked as she walked through their underground quarters.
Woody was working intently on the camera. ‘No-o-o,’ he said — disparaging the notion. ‘These’re military types, not spooks. They’ll just shoot us if they don’t like what we’re doing.’ Kate laughed at Woody’s naivete. ‘You don’t really think they’d shoot us!’
‘The hell they wouldn’t!’ he said, tightening some loose screw with a tiny tool. ‘That’s what they’re in the business of doing. Ifs bugging rooms that’s not their thing.’
Clark had been generous in every way. They’d been given free run of the former Russian military base. Their ‘quarters’ consisted of a large conference room off which their choice of four small bedrooms opened. On entering the underground room, Woody had locked the only door into and out of the room and tested the security of the bolts until satisfied. He’d then opened the door briefly and waved at their escorts just outside. They made no move to intrude upon their privacy even after Woody noisily relocked the door.
‘We’ve been had, Woody. Clark suckered us in and then sprung the trap. Now, this is basically over for us. Everything we learn from here on out is classified.’
‘Uh-huh.’ Woody squinted and tilted his head this way and that — scrutinizing the inner workings of the minicam.
‘What are you doing? she asked as he pried open a circuit board with his screw driver. His mouth remained open as he concentrated — his tongue sticking out between parted teeth.
‘Got it!’ he said finally, removing a small baggy.
‘Got what?’ Kate headed for the table but ended up following Woody toward the bathroom. ‘What is that?’ Inside the small room, Woody motioned for her to close the door. She finally saw what he was unwrapping. ‘Woody!’ she shouted.
‘Sh-h-h!’ he hissed back.
‘But that’s pot!’ He opened the plastic to reveal a round bundle of joints held tightly together by a rubber band.
‘Like I said, they’re soldiers. They’re not spies, and they’re sure not cops!’ He was grinning ear-to-ear over his little coup.